State promises to allocate funds for Siliguri’s growth

Pramod Giri, HT, 19 June 2016, SILIGURI: The state government has assured that the dues of the Left Front- run Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) would be cleared soon. 

Siliguri mayor and MLA Asok Bhattacharya on Thursday and Friday met state urban development minister Firhad Hakim and public health engineering (PHE) minister Subrata Mukherjee in Kolkata. 

Asok expressed satisfaction on the outcome of his meetings with the two ministers. Asok and four elected representatives of the SMC had met the ministers in the state Assembly and drew their attention on the non-release of funds by the state government which has hampered the functioning of the civic body. 

In May last year, Hakim and Mukherjee cited their prior engagements and refused to meet Asok despite the latter’s appointment with them. 

The Left Front defeated the TMC in the last SMC election. Asok also defeated TMC candidate Baichung Bhutia from Siliguri in the 2016 Assembly election. 

One year down the line, Asok had been complaining that the development projects of the SMC have been affected due to non-release of funds from the state finance commission. But now, the CPI(M) leader seems quite satisfied after his meetings with the two ministers. 

Asok said, “During my meeting with Hakim, I requested him to release the funds which are due to the SMC. We do not want anything extra, but the dues should be released at the earliest.” 

As per SMC estimates, the state government has not yet released Rs 17 crore for the last calendar year. Hakim added that there will be no politics in regard to carrying out development projects and releasing funds to the civic body. 

Another positive development Asok cited is the state government’s clearance to appoint two management staff and one town planner. 

The SMC wanted to appoint two management staff and one urban planner since the time Asok became the mayor.